Psychoactive properties Essay Sample

1. Alcohol is the most prevalent drug of abuse worldwide. Discuss the major, long-term physiological effects of addiction to alcohol. Be sure to include a discussion of the dangers of withdrawal. Alcohol is very toxic to the body. When a person consumes a certain amount of alcohol the body becomes toxic and their mental status is impaired and there judgment and reasoning is unstable. This causes a person to take careless and or reckless actions outside of their norm. After these abnormal actions take place a person may begin to feel guilt, shame and remorse and begin drinking to mask those feelings. As a result the addiction process begins. Long term use of alcohol can harm the liver, bones, endocrine system and brain. The process of overcoming alcohol addiction can be very dangerous as. Withdrawals are not experience by everyone who stops drinking alcohol but most people who have been drinking for a long period of time, frequently, or heavily when they do drink, will experience some form of withdrawal symptoms if they stop drinking suddenly.

2. Describe the psychoactive properties of marijuana and then discuss the controversial issue of legalization, choosing either a pro or con position. The drug Marijuana has been widely used for many years. This illegal drug has caused much controversy over being legalized. It is the third most popular abused substance worldwide. Heavy users of this drug often argue that alcohol, which is legal and more dangerous than Cannabis. People see marijuana as a gateway drug. Teens who often start with marijuana often times become users of a more addictive and dangerous drug. The use of marijuana causes many health issues such as lung cancer, loss of brain cells, impaired motor ability, blood vessel blockage and many other problems. “Children ages 12-17 are 85 times more likely to use cocaine Marijuana has also been linked with teen violence, suicide, crime and unsafe sex-HIV transmission” (http://marijuanatoday.com/cons.php).

3. Inhalants (volatile substances) are a dangerous group of substances of abuse. Discuss the psychoactive properties of the inhalants and explain why they are so dangerous. Drugs enter the body through many different ways: Inhalation, injection, snorting, oral ingestion, and/or by absorption. Whichever way they enter the body, they eventually make their way to the brain. Inhaling is the fastest method of reaching the brain. Inhalants are volatile liquids or aerosol sprays that have many of the same psychoactive effects as street drugs (Inaba & Cohen 2007). These liquids and sprays give off fumes and gases that can give off an intoxicating and occasionally psychedelic effect. There are three major types of inhalants Volatile Solvents & Aerosols, Volatile Nitrites and Anesthetics. All three of these major types of inhalants can have emotional, mental and physiological effects. Some effects that inhalants have on humans who abuse it are headaches, nausea, lack of coordination, and inability to concentrate. Chronic abuse can also result in seizures, comas, and even death. Another danger to this drug use is it flies under the radar. There is a lack of awareness regarding it being a drug problem and can run up against dismissive attitudes.